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In 1834, before the name Hua Hin was coined, some agricultural areas of Phetchaburi Province were hit by severe drought. A group of farmers moved south until they found a small village that had bright white sand and a row of rocks along the beach. They settled there and gave it the name Samore Riang (Samo Riang), which means 'rows of rocks'.

In 1921 the director of the state railway, Prince Purachatra, built the Railway Hotel close to the beach. Prince Krom Phra Naresworarit was the first member of the royal family to build a group of palaces at Ban Laem Hin, called Sukaves, and gave the beach next to his palace the name "Hua Hin". King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) liked the place so much that he built a summer palace there which was later named Klai Kang Won ('far from worries'). From 2004 until 2006 it was the full-time residence of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), until health issues forced him to return to Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, where medical facilities and physicians were closer at hand.

In 1932 Hua Hin was part of Pran Buri District as a minor district (king amphoe). In 1949 Hua Hin became a separate district of Prachuap Khiri Khan.[2] After the building of Thailand's southern railway connected the district with Bangkok along with various destinations en route, Hua Hin became the first and most popular beach resort in the country.[3]

Hua Hin has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classificationAw). Temperatures are very warm to hot throughout the year, with only small variations. The year begins with the dry season (December–April), before the monsoon arrives in May. Rains ease somewhat from June to August before the heaviest rains begin in September and continue through November.

The quality of the waters of the Gulf of Thailand off central Hua Hin were rated "fair" in 2015 by the Pollution Control Department.[10]:54 But, the report noted that "...the main tourism areas, namely Cha–Am Beach, ... and Hua Hin Beach, ... should be consistently monitored, since enterococci [fecal] bacteria levels exceeded the standard...."[10]:59

There is daily ferry service between Hua Hin and Pattaya[11] and between Hua Hin and Ko Samui, Ko Tao, and Ko Pha-ngan.[12] In November 2018, Hua Hin deputy chief Chareewat Phramanee confirmed the ferry service, suspended due to low tourist numbers during low season, would be up and running again for high season between Hua Hin and Pattaya, a 2.5-hour journey for 1,250 Thai Bhat on a catamaran with a maximum capacity of 340.[13]

In August 2018 the Department of Airports announced that it will spend 3.5 billion baht to upgrade Hua Hin Airport over the next five years. The number of travellers using the airport is expected to increase by tenfold, to three million a year, in that timeframe. The upgrade is part of the "Riviera Thailand" and Southern Economic Corridor projects. The work at the airport will take four to five years. It includes enlarging the existing passenger terminal, building a second one, expanding hangar space, and widening the runway from 30 to 45 metres.[15]